Modulation of Pituitary Cell Physiology

细胞内钙离子浓度的变化调节着几乎所有细胞中各种不同的生理功能。这些功能包括激素和神经递质分泌、骨骼肌收缩、心率和收缩力量、消化和排泄过程，以及DNA表达和蛋白质合成的控制。细胞内钙水平的变化还涉及更多的全球性生理和病理事件，包括学习和记忆、细胞和器官发育、神经和退行性疾病以及衰老，仅举几例。Korn博士感兴趣的是确定生理环境以及在激素分泌过程中细胞内钙水平升高和降低所涉及的细胞不同部分。通过使用结合膜片钳电生理学、视频成像和光度学的技术复杂的方法，他将探索钙调节生长激素分泌的机制。生长激素是一种垂体前叶细胞类型，生长激素的分泌受生长激素释放因子的兴奋性激素控制和生长抑素的抑制性激素控制，因此是一个很好的系统。Korn博士将分析激素分泌刺激和抑制后不同细胞质内钙变化的时间进程。这些结果可能会给出对理解细胞过程具有广泛意义的答案，并特别对内分泌细胞中生长激素释放和离子通道控制的机制提供新的见解。由于这些结果将对如何在人和动物中控制激素分泌产生影响，因此这些发现最终可能对畜牧业领域、相关农业行业和制药行业具有重要意义。

Changes in the concentration of intracellular calcium ions regulate an enormous variety of physiological functions in nearly all cells. These functions include hormone and neurotransmitter secretion, skeletal muscle contraction, heart rate and force of contraction, digestive and excretion processes, and control of DNA expression and protein synthesis. Changes in intracellular calcium levels are also involved in more global physiological and pathological events, which include learning and memory, cell and organ development, neurological and degenerative disorders and aging, to name a few. Dr. Korn is interested in determining the physiological circumstances and the different parts of the cells that are involved in elevation and reduction of intracellular calcium levels during hormone secretion. By using a technically sophisticated approach of combining patch clamp electrophysiology, video imaging and photometry, he will explore the mechanisms by which calcium regulates growth hormone secretion from somatotrophs. Somatotrophs an anterior pituitary cell type, is an excellent system to use since growth hormone secretion is under the excitatory hormonal control of growth hormone releasing factor and inhibitory hormonal control of somatostatin. Dr. Korn will analyze the time course of calcium changes in different cytoplasmic compartments following the stimulation and inhibition of hormone secretion. The results are likely to give answers with widely ranging implications for understanding cellular processes as well as to provide new insights specifically into the mechanisms governing growth hormone release and the control of ion channels in endocrine cells. Since the results will have implications for how hormone secretion can be manipulated in both man and animals, the findings may eventually be important for the field of animal husbandry, for associated agricultural industries, and the pharmaceutical industry.